San Francisco, CA – The New Americans Campaign, comprised of over 140  organizations from across the U.S. that work together to help lawful permanent residents gain citizenship, today praised the Supreme Court’s decision on Maslenjak v. United States, which will protect the rights of naturalized U.S. citizens.

The following can be attributed to Melissa Rodgers, Director of the New Americans Campaign and Director of Programs for the Immigrant Legal Resource Center:

“As a collaboration of over 140 organizations that help immigrants across the U.S. apply for citizenship, we applaud today’s Supreme Court decision. The Court reaffirmed the value and importance of citizenship by ruling that an immaterial misstatement in this case did not provide the basis for taking away Ms. Maslenjak’s citizenship. This decision will give peace of mind to the over 20 million people who have completed the naturalization process and are contributing, hardworking members of our communities. It also gives encouragement to the 8.8 million eligible lawful permanent residents who have yet to start their application process.

Citizenship has many benefits, including protection against deportation. It also provides increased earning opportunities, an ability for citizens to bring their families to the U.S. and allows individuals to travel freely to all corners of the world. Already, the New Americans Campaign has helped over a quarter million individuals apply for citizenship through workshops in 18 cities, and we are committed to continuing to help all aspiring citizens gain the full benefits and protections that citizenship provides.”

###

Led by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, the New Americans Campaign is a diverse nonpartisan national network of respected immigration organizations, legal services providers, faith-based organizations, immigrant rights groups, foundations and community leaders. The Campaign transforms the way aspiring citizens navigate the path to becoming new Americans. It is committed to connecting lawful permanent residents (LPRs) to trusted legal assistance and critical information that simplifies the naturalization process.

To learn more about the New Americans Campaign, please visit www.newamericanscampaign.org or follow the conversation at #NewAmericans.